The School District’s Triangle of Success

BOARD-SAVVY SUPERINTENDENT

So, you want to be a high-functioning school district? As I look around at the districts I admire for their consistently strong leadership, I almost always find one where the team of the school board president or chair, the superintendent and the chief financial director have an excellent working relationship.

I see this in my work life every day, but it is also supported by the organizational leadership literature. A lot of research links the success of school districts to the superintendent and board relationship. As Elizabeth Zagata referenced in her doctoral research at the University of Connecticut: “Research shows that districts with effective governance and a positive relationship between the school board and the superintendent consistently have better student outcomes. Indeed, the dynamic of that relationship can either hinder or help a district achieve its mission.”

While not often referenced in the literature, the relationship with the district’s chief financial officer is also essential in this conversation, expanding it to a three-way partnership. It’s the board chair who leads a governing body in setting a strategic direction. Then, a superintendent leads a staff in bringing the plan to life and a chief financial director ensures financial resources are aligned to make it all happen.